TheWizard

Or the very similar Kenwood: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DNX574S/Kenwood-DNX574S.html?tp=20212. The one significant advantage that Kenwood has over Pioneer is that it uses Garmin GPS. Both are excellent choices with the Pioneer having a better FM tuner and more audio tuning options while the Kenwood has a somewhat easier to navigate menu interface along with the navigation advantage.

In this case, Nick was incorrect. The device goes between the pedal sensor and the rest of the system and adjusts the response curve to show that the pedal is being pressed harder or more quickly than it really is. The system can't see any discrepancy because it has no independent connection to the sensor to compare with - the only information it gets is through the device. It has no way to tell whether there is a human foot or a device doing it. Besides, warranty can only be denied for individual repairs that were caused by an aftermarket device. They can't completely void your warranty (except for "abuse" like racing) and they can't deny service for something that is unrelated (e.g. a water pump problem would have nothing to do with the accelerator). Certainly the tune that was being promoted in that thread would be much more obvious to the dealer. However, if you're concerned, it would probably be a good idea to remove the device before taking the vehicle to the dealer for service - just so a tech doesn't see it plugged into the harness. As I said in that thread, I removed mine because the throttle response was annoying when downshifting a stick shift so I know it improves throttle response from my own experience but I have no ties to the product or the company so I have no dog in the fight. I just thought you might like an inexpensive option.

Why not try installing a JMS PedalMAX or BoostMAX to fix the throttle response issue? There is essentially no turbo lag with the Ecoboost engine but there is tuning in the throttle-by-wire that makes it seem like there is. The Ford programming is designed to smooth (read "reduce") throttle response unless you really put your foot in it as an effort to reduce fuel consumption (every little bit counts when you're up against CAFE standards). The JMS device plugs in to the throttle-by-wire connector at the accelerator pedal and remaps the throttle response to get rid of that lag that is often blamed on turbo lag. The $300 cost would be a lot less than a new vehicle and it's completely reversible by simply unplugging the device when your lease is up.

Harley kickstands lock in place when down. You could get a Gold Wing kickstand which has an electrical switch used to display a warning light if you leave it down by mistake. I'd hate to see you catch on the kickstand when you lean into a turn.

If you live in Florida, extended warranties are considered insurance and are subject to many restrictions including that the price is the same for all customers (generally MSRP) and is not negotiable. Also sellers must be licensed in Florida which mostly prevents buying an extended warranty online or from out of state.

The dealer would turn it off because the lights would come on in the shop whenever the ignition was on - unnecessary if they're not actually working on the lights. I find they also tend to turn off the radio and HVAC.

I too had Dan's lights (both versions due to replacing the originals because of the infamous water intrusion problem) but although they were great for visibility, I did not find that they provided much useful light for the driver. Bright DRLs yes but fog lights no. The turn signal feature is attention getting (which is good) but if you don't want that feature you can just not connect the T/S wires and they'll function merely as DRLs. I recommend them for being seen but not so much if you're looking for more light. What I can't figure out is why I see so many cars that I know have automatic headlights (including Edge, Fusion, etc. plus upscale European models and others) but have them turned off. Of course I also don't understand people who will use just parking lights when driving instead of turning the knob that extra click to get headlights. Is there some "cool" factor I'm missing?

True, but since then auto manufacturers have added decorative lights they call fog lights as a selling point but which have no real relationship to a true fog light. They don't have a low wide beam with a sharp upper cutoff line and are mounted much too high above the road (look at the grille mounted "fog" lights on a Mustang GT). The "fog" lights in my wife's Kia Sorento are completely useless for fog because they throw light everywhere and cause more reflection than even the headlights yet she insists on them because they produce more foreground light which she likes (also wrong). Many bulb makers have started naming certain bulbs (800, 881, and some others) as "toy fog" bulbs. As such, the misuse is really not a big deal until you get fools who think they should be brighter and install HIDs or other overpowering bulbs in them.

I did not have a great experience with the PIAA wipers. Considering all the extra prep work and the cost, they just didn't measure up to the original Motorcraft replacements I've been using. But I just ordered some Bosch Icon wipers based on comments here and will see if they are an improvement, especially in longevity.

Yes, the in-house brand name for TRS (The Retrofit Source) is Morimoto - recognized as one of the best HID producers in the market. But even they don't make a 55W kit anymore. They went to a 50W kit instead to try to somewhat reduce the issues with heat and capsule life. Still, if you're going to go with a higher output kit, Morimoto is definitely a good choice... it pays to go with the best.

55 watt kits (especially from low price distributors) are definitely not recommend. There is no such thing as a 55 watt bulb so the kits just run a ballast that overdrives the 35 watt bulb. That reduces bulb life by as much as half (even Morimoto advises 20% loss for their top of the line kit) and they only add about 20% more light but a lot more heat. That added heat could easily be enough to damage sockets or (very expensive) headlight housings. Plus, many of the cheaper so-called 55W kits are actually 55W input but nowhere near 55W output so you're not even getting what you paid for. (Actually, many of the cheap 35W kits don't output 35 watts either but they're still enough to be significantly brighter than halogen so people don't complain.) You would get more bang for your buck by buying a high quality 35W kit like Morimoto, Drivebright, or Diode Dynamics than you would from a cheap 55W kit like DDM or something of unknown origin from ebay.

The other number you found is a year older ("E" code = 2014) and for a different model ("S7" = Mondeo/Fusion). Neither of those necessarily mean that the part won't work - it's quite common for parts to be used across model lines and the part number indicates only the first model it was used in. But the thing that would concern me is that the base number is different, indicating it's a different part. That could mean that it's a larger assembly or kit that includes the part you need or it could mean that it's an entirely different design, so I agree that you probably shouldn't take the chance. Most electrical and electronic parts are not returnable so you could get stuck with an expensive door stop.

The part numbering scheme changed at the end of the century so where the prefix used to start with a letter and a number that represented the model year by decade and year (e.g. C7 meant 1967), now the first letter represents the model year first used and the next two characters represent the model. That means that your FJ5T part is a year newer than the EJ5T part. That doesn't mean that they are incompatible because the year code represents the first year that the part was used - it doesn't get updated if the same part gets used in a newer model. But there must be something different about them - it could be something meaningless like a different supplier, it could be a difference in features such as with nav or without, or it could be something different enough that they would not be interchangeable like having a different electrical connector (unlikely). Normally you would have to get the APIM programmed to your vehicle but there are places you can buy them online where they program it before shipping so you can just plug it in when you get it. Check out 4dtech.com if you're interested in that. They guarantee compatibility and will even add nav if you want it.

Just for background info... The Ford part numbering system consists of a prefix, a basic part number, and a suffix. The prefix consists of characters that represent the year and model of the first vehicle the part was used on. The last letter in the prefix designates the engineering group for production line parts and is always Z for service replacement parts. That means that the part number on the part on the car will not be the part number you would get over the counter from the dealer. The basic part number is 4, 5 or 6 character code that is just a part type designation - for example, every big block engine intake manifold will have 9425 for its basic part number. The suffix is a one or two letter code that indicates specific applications, colors or production changes. Sometimes you will have interchangeability between different letters because they are production changes (they don't affect fit) but other times the letter shows application differences... using the intake manifold example, they would be different manifolds for the various engines available in the same model vehicle and may or may not physically fit interchangeably. The point being that you can't determine interchangeability just by the basic part number since all vehicles that have similar Sync modules will also have the same 14D212 basic number. They may be interchangeable but they may not. And the part number on the part can be helpful when buying used parts but will not match the number you find in a parts catalog. So it's best to check with people who have done the swap or with your local parts department to determine whether a particular part will work for you.

I've heard that Chrysler/Jeep's UConnect is head and shoulders above other infotainment systems... have you found it to be as good as they say?

Yes, Dan's products are top notch but he doesn't sell a 4300K HID kit - only 5000K and 6000K.

That's actually a nickname I got at work way back when a lot of companies considered you qualified for an IT position if you owned a home PC, so someone who actually knew the technology was a wizard. It stems from the Arthur C. Clark quote "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

HID lamps do dim over time but not to a significant degree. The biggest indicator of HID lamps needing replacement is the color shift - they will gradually shift toward the blue/violet end of the spectrum. They also can start to cycle on and off due to the increased voltage needed as an older capsule gets hot (capsule heats up, voltage required exceeds ballast capabilities so it shuts off, inactive capsule cools down requiring less voltage, starts up again and the cycle repeats). Some of the better ballasts will recognize cycling and stop trying to restart the arc after a couple of cycles.

The new guy really wants to stir things up in his first couple of posts. Perhaps he should educate himself before making such obnoxious comments. HIDs in halogen reflector lamps are certainly a problem but, although not ideal and not as good as a proper HID projector, HIDs in halogen projector lamps are generally not unsafe - there are plenty of threads on the subject dude.

The factory remote start from Ford involves a dedicated start button on the fob - press lock at least once to lock the vehicle then press the remote start button twice to initiate remote start. There are several aftermarket remote start kits which use the "press lock button 3 times" method so that you don't have to carry a separate fob for the remote starter - Fortin and MPC are two well known brands. Your dealer probably installed one of those aftermarket kits prior to delivery. The Edge, along with almost every other car ever equipped with remote power locks, locks all doors on the first press of the lock button on the fob and then provides an audible confirmation (horn or electronic beep) that it's locked when the lock button is pressed a second time. It may be possible to disable the horn beep for the remote start (depending on which aftermarket model it is) but the first beep for the double lock button press will always be there.

4300K is actually a little yellow. 5000K is considered pure white while 6000K is "crystal" white (some blue tint). 4300K is used by OEMs because it is the most effective color for lighting but if whiteness is your goal then 5000K will be the most white without yellow or blue tint. But if effective lighting is the goal, Nick is right - Morimoto is among the best in the market and Diode Dynamics also has 4300K available.

I don't know if they still do it but you used to be able to download alternate voices for some Garmin and Tom Tom GPS models. You could get different languages of course and even British vs American English (complete with accents) but you could also get different genders and some famous voices... Darth Vader, Yoda, The Terminator, Mr. T, The Simpsons, and a whole list of Warner Brothers cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.

That's true. Halogen headlights are probably on a circuit protected by a fusible link which OEMs generally consider as not user replaceable (they are replaceable but it takes a certain amount of electrical skills).

There are independent 20A fuses for left and right HID lamps in the power distribution box under the hood. Fuse #18 is right side and fuse #44 is left side. (Fuses chapter of owner's manual starting on page 250).

Curt Industries makes a harness adapter which is plug-and-play for your 2015. It plugs into the two tail light harnesses, has the necessary controller to convert the 3-wire configuration to 2-wire and provides a standard 4-pin trailer plug for output. It's only $42 at Car-ID (their item #I68942645). That would be the safest way to provide output to your rack since it doesn't involve any cutting or splicing and it wouldn't damage any electronics. I don't have the schematics for a 2015 and the colors you mention don't match the 2013. Since your meter gave inconclusive readings, you could try the old fashioned way... remove the lamp, get a 9-volt battery, connect the ground side to where the black wire was (safe to assume that's ground) then use a short piece of wire to test each of the other connections to see what they do (running lights, turn signal, brake, and backup). A 9-volt battery should be safe for most electronics but I take no responsibility for any damage.